Fast Digs: The Santa Ana Track

The bicycle track at the city of Santa Ana was a third-mile track, modeled on the Louisville Kentucky track, regarded as one of the top tracks in the nation at the time. The Santa Ana track was regarded as a fast one, upon which numerous Pacific Coast records were set in the 1890s; in 1897 one record for the track was still on the books. Complaints against the track revolved around the size of the grandstand, which was considered small, and the lack of training quarters. Cycling organization in Santa Ana was minimal, irregular, and perhaps best described as disorganized. The track was "thrown up twice" before 1897, though during that year a newly organized club had taken over management giving hope that new life could be suffused into the facility.

The creation, and maintenance, of the Santa Ana track owed much to C. C. Monaghan, a native of New York who moved to Santa Ana (and then Los Angeles), and served as "chief consul" of the League of American Wheelmen. He was instrumental in getting the track built and then when, due to financial difficulties, it became the property of creditors, Monaghan and his wife (also a tireless cycling advocate) raised the funds to re-establish the facility.

Among the earliest recorded races at the Santa Ana track were Field Day events on 23 June 1894, which included both running and bicycle racing. When the 9:30 train arrived on the morning of the races "bicyclists swarmed in like so many blackbirds, some in uniforms of different colors, and some with ordinary suits on. The city was full of people from early in the morning." Many of the top riders between Los Angeles and Riverside were at the track that day. First up was the mile handicap - Griffin, with a 100 yard handicap lead won the race ahead of Hall in second and Harry Bundy, J. P. Brown, A. Otis Birch, Roper, Glen, Griffith, and Campbell arrayed behind them. Next came the half-mile with Burke, Fox, Jenkins, Castleman, Parks, and Cowan all starting; Castleman won in a time of 1:14 1/2, with Burke second and Jenkins third.

A boys' race came up next, and though a distance for it is not noted, the race was won by Roy Purcell in a time of 1:25 1/2, with Perkins Laymen second. A half-mile race for Orange County riders spun around next, though it was declared void, and had to be run again later. Following that was the one-mile with many of the top riders again competing: Jenkins, Lacy, Parks, Castleman, and Cowan. The race started slow, everyone waiting for the finish, but the last lap turned into the best sprint endings of the day.  Castleman won his second race, outsprinting Parks. Race judges determined that the race did not meet the time limit, and would have to be, like the previous one, rerun later in the day. Castleman repeated as winner the second time around, though Jenkins this time took second, with Parks settling for third. 

In the two-mile handicap Hull beat Taylor in 5:25 3/4; Campbell, Bundy, Griffin, Bennett and Glen also competed, though in the first mile both Bundy and Griffin pulled out. When the half-mile race for Orange County riders was run again only Roper and Griffith started, with both Taylor and Bundy protesting they had won fairly the first time and should not have to race again. Griffith easily won the restart over Roper in 1:27 1/4.

Eight starters toed the line for the big race of the day, the five-mile handicap - Lacy, Fox, J. W. Cowan, W. K. Cowan, Castleman, Jenkins, Halbrook, and Stevenson. Fox dropped out at the half-mile mark and Stevenson in the fourth mile, but Castleman and Halbrook put on a great show, with Castleman nabbing another win in 13:43 1/2. Another Orange County race, a three-mile handicap finished the day with Birch and Roper crossing the line in a dead heat, in a time of 8:25. The day was deemed quite a success for the track, the organizers, and the racers though, as usual, there was some questioning of the handicap system since not a single scratch rider collected a win, and numerous withdrew when faced with the overwhelming gaps. Thomas Varney, agent for Rambler Bicycles wasted no time advertising the success of Casey Castleman: